Cross-commercial fertilization

Currently running the rounds on American television, a Progressive Insurance ad (featuring the company’s spokesperson Flo) into which a giant humanoid pitcher of some colored drink intrudes, by crashing through the wall:

This is funny as slapstick, but (like so many cartoons and comics) is much funnier if you recognize the characters involved and their backgrounds — especially, the humanoid pitcher.

A woman is showing Flo her lovely home when, suddenly, the Kool-Aid Man comes bursting though the wall of the living room. He’s a little more destructive than the average husband, but Flo looks on the bright side of bundling their home and auto insurance through Progressive.

This identifies the humanoid pitcher: the Kool-Aid Man, the mascot for the sweet flavored drink Kool-Aid (marketed primarily to children; when I was a kid, we called it bug juice, on the kid theory that it was made by smashing up bugs). Kool-Aid Man we have seen on ths blog before, in “Non-sequitur” of 10/18/13:

Kool-Aid Man is the mascot for Kool-Aid, a brand of flavored drink mix. The character has appeared on television and print advertising as a fun-loving gigantic pitcher, filled with red Kool-Aid and marked with a smiley face. He is typically featured answering the call of children by smashing through walls and furnishings, holding a pitcher filled with Kool-Aid. (Wikipedia)